Mama and Her Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes 1 For as long as I could remember, the small cottage on Castro Street had been home. The familiar background was therc: Mama, Papa, my only brother, Nels. There was my sister Christine, closest to me in age, yet ever seeret and withdrawn and the littlest sister, Dagmar. 2 There, too, came the Aunts, Mama's four sisters. Aunt Jenny, who was the oldest and the bossicst; Aunt Sigrid; Aunt Marta; and our maiden aunt, Trina. 3 The Aunts' old bachelor unele, my Great uncle Chris the"black Norwegian came with his great impatience, his shouting and stamping. And brought mystery and excitement to our humdrum days. 4 But the first awareness was of Mama. 5 I remember that every Saturday night Mama would sit down by the scrubbed kitchen table and with much wrinkling of usually placid bruws count out the money Papa had brought home in the little envelope. 6 There would be various stacks. 7 For the landlord," Mama would say, piling up the big silver pieces. 8 For the grocer." Another group of coins 9 For Katrin's shoes to be half soled." And Mama would count out the little silver. 10"Teacher says this week I'll need a notebook. That would be T